I like to take lots and lots of numbers and turn them into proprietary concepts and multi-platform content. Three of my longstanding publishing creations: the valuations of sports teams, ranking actors and movie studios on bang for the buck (ROI) and the Forbes Fab 40 (the most valuable sports brands). My most recent idea was Names You Need To Know, which broadened my concept of list creation to include direct input from our audience. I also like to take apart corporate balance sheets to measure earnings quality and have a passion for economics (my MBA thesis at Long Island University was an empirical study on the cause of inflation in which regression analysis showed a significant correlation between the general level of prices and the money supply). Besides being an Executive Editor at Forbes I also have a gig as co-host and Managing Editor of the 3-time New York Emmy award winning Forbes SportsMoney on the YES Network and Fox Sports 1 with my buddies at YES, co-host Bob Lorenz and producer David Alfreds, both of whom have taught me a tremendous amount. I also regularly appear on Fox and CNBC to chat about the business, political and sports issues of the day. One of my favorite times is being a guest every few weeks on Larry Kudlow's radio show on WABC Saturday mornings. Larry has been a great mentor and friend. My brother in arms is Kurt Badenhausen, whom I have worked with for many years and knows more about sports numbers than anyone.

Although the Glendale City Council votes this Friday on a new 20-year lease (located at the bottom of this post) at Jobing.com Arena for Greg Jamison, the prospective buyer of the Phoenix Coyotes, sources familiar with the matter say the former CEO of the San Jose Sharks still has not raised enough money to buy the National Hockey League team.

According to these sources Jamison is having trouble raising the money to make the $170 million purchase because investors believe that even with a $15 million a year taxpayer subsidy over the course of the new lease the Coyotes will have difficulty turning a profit. The Coyotes, bought by the NHL while in bankruptcy in 2009 for $140 million, have been losing money even though they have been getting a $25 million a year subsidy from Glendale.

The Coyotes were last in the NHL in attendance this season, averaging 12,400 per game, about 5,000 less than the league average. Investors are skeptical that Jamison can boost ticket sales and revenue from non-NHL events enough to make the Coyotes profitable. Unlike the their rivals, the Los Angeles Kings, the Coyotes are not likely to get a new, rich cable deal. And the Coyotes are locked in the league’s new national television deal with Comcast through the 2020-21 season, so there is no upside there.

Don’t be shocked if the NHL lowers its asking price well below $170 million or the deal with Jamison falls through, just like the previous negotiations to sell the team to Jerry Reinsdorf and Matthew Hulsizer fell apart. In November we valued the Coyotes at $134 million, last in the 30-team league.

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Teams that play on ice don’t belong in the cactus league and there is no shortage of ex-patriate Canadian snowbirds in Arizona who still are no shows so there is no hope of a home-grown market and Canucks are used to real hockey and not the watered down brand being offered with watered down beer in desert heat.

It’s pretty simple, the Coyotes need to move or fold. Phoenix will never be a hockey town and is oversaturated with pro sports. Nobody is willing to drive from the east side of town to Glendale on a regular basis. Most of Phoenix’s hockey fans don’t live in Glendale but central Phoenix and further east. Had the arena been built in south Scottsdale as orginally planned this might be a different story. I hate to see the team move but the taxpayers should not have to pay for this mess that Glendale has dug themselves into.

Seattle wants the team and is willing to build a new arena for them. It didn’t work in Atlanta (twice) and it’s not working in Phoenix. Save the taxpayers some money to put towards other things and wish them well in the Northwest.

I am a Glendale taxpayer. I am against this deal. There are too many ifs! Everything will be fine if: the local business leaders don’t call for a referendum on tax increases, http://www.glendalestar.com/news/article_37106808-a9cf-11e1-897b-001a4bcf887a.html , the Goldwater institute doesn’t sue under the Arizona gift clause, and we don’t dump into a double dip recession. As I said, there are too many ifs’! I’m sorry, but I don’t want my family’s taxes increased to pay for this boondoggle anymore! I have friends who were part of the 49 people laid off last week. City workers are terrified there won’t be any jobs at all come August if the perfect storm hits. It’s not about hockey anymore. It’s about good, honest, hard working Americans taking it in the shorts. No one on our city council cares about the average taxpayer except Phil and Norma. They are outvoted. They see dollar signs! They do not see how the burden of these mistakes are going to hurt Glendale families for years to come.

Hey Glendale: ” No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend’s or of thine own were: any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bells tolls; it tolls for thee.”

I am a Glendale taxpayer. I am against this deal. There are too many ifs! Everything will be fine if: the local business leaders don’t call for a referendum on tax increases, the Goldwater institute doesn’t sue under the Arizona gift clause, and we don’t dump into a double dip recession. As I said, there are too many ifs! This is no way to run a city. I’m sorry, but I don’t want my family’s taxes increased to pay for this circus of lies anymore! I have friends who were part of the 49 people laid off last week. City workers are terrified there won’t be any jobs at all come August if the perfect storm hits. It’s not about hockey anymore. It’s about good, honest, hard working Americans taking it in the shorts. No one on our city council cares about the average taxpayer except Phil and Norma. They are outvoted. The rest of the council is deluded. They see dollar signs! They see hockey fans! They do not see how the burden of these mistakes are going to hurt Glendale families for years to come.

Actually Seattle makes a lot of sense in the future, when they have a rink built and an owner in place. Unfortunately this train wreck (Phoenix Coyotes) needs a solution right now. Now as in a new place to play next season. So that leaves places like Seattle out for this relocation. (Although if you are hoping for a team in Seattle, don’t worry there are many other southern NHL locations that are in trouble and probably will be moving in the future.)

But to solve today’s Phoenix problem you need: A city with a ready to go rink. An owner ready to pay the cost of an NHL team along with relocation fees. And a location in which there is the real possibility that a franchise could actually work there.

There are not too many places out there, ready to go right now. In fact I can only think of two. Quebec City and Hamilton, Ontario.